Method of making insoles and sheets therefor



March 14,;l9 39. F'L YRs 2,150,575

METHOD OF MAK lNG INSOLES AND SHEETS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 11, 1957 PatentedMar. 14, 1939 I I y I UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE METHOD MAKING INSOLES AND SHEETS THEREFOR Fred L. Ayers, Watertown, Mass, assignor to Brown Company, Berlin, N. H., a. corporation of Maine Application December 11, 1937, Serial No. 179,276

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 12-146) This invention relates to a method of making of the present invention takes the form of a sheet insoles and to sheets therefor. It deals more comprising at least three zones or strips of maespecially with a method and with sheets deterial, namely, relatively stiff side zones of a width signed to yield-insoles of relatively flexible macorresponding substantially to the toe portion of terial throughout excepting at their toe portions, an insole and a relatively flexible intermediate 5 which are of relatively still? material. zone sufliciently wide to accommodate all but the Insoles of relatively high flexibility at the ball toe portions of a two-row cutting pattern wherezone and of relatively low flexibility at the toe in the insole-shank and heel portions of an inportions and at the shankand heel portions have sole in one row occupies and substantially fits been introduced into the shoemaking art on the the space between the shank and heel portions of 10 basis that flexibility is desired at the ball zone the other row. Such a multi-zone or multi-strip of the shoe, whereat flexing takes place during sheet may consist of side strips of stiff fiberboard wear of the shoe, and that stiffness is desired at spliced or joined to an intermediate strip of relathe toe portions and at the shank and heel -portively flexible rubber-impregnated felt. The tions during the lasting and other shoem-aking multi-zone or. multi-strip sheet may be made up 15 operations as well as during wear of the shoe. of five, seven, or other odd number of strips,

In order to realize economically stiffness at the the odd-numbered strips being the narrow relainsole zones other than the ball zone, it has been tively stiff ones and the even-numbered strips the practice to use stiff fiberboard as the mabeing the wide relatively flexible ones; and the 90 terial of construction of the insole zones other narrow strips, other than the marginal ones, may than the ball zone. Because the shank and heel serve to furnish the relatively stiff toe portions of portions of an insole are so positioned in a shoe two adjacent rows of insoles. Such a sheet not as to be exposed to view, the fiberboard material only lends itself to ready fabrication in long of which such portions are made is, when exlengths for storage and shipment but may be cut "7 posed, apt to be repulsive to the shoe wearer as or died out into the desired insoles with-minimum bespeaking cheapness. wastage of stock.

In making shoes, it is usual before lasting to With the foregoing and other features and secure to the under or'outer face of the insole, objects in view, the present invention will now be as by staples, a stiffener piece or fiberboard blank described in further detail with reference to the {Ir extending from substantially the front shank line accompanying drawing, wherein,

to the heel edge. There is thus no real need for Figure 1 shows in perspective a spliced or comthe provision of a stiff heel portion or stiff heel posite five-strip sheet embodying the. present inand shank portions in the insole proper. Indeed, vention and the pattern for cutting such sheet it may be desirable to avoid the use of fiberboard into insoles accordant with the method hereof.

3:, in the heel portion or in the heel and shank por- Figure 2 represents a transverse section tions of the insole and its cheap appearance, since through the sheet on the line 22 of Figure 1. the stiffness quality desired at these portions is As appears in Figure 1, the spliced or comrealized from the stiffener piece or blank usually posite five-strip sheet may be of indefinite length secured to the under face of the insole and hidden and comprise narrow relatively stiff strips I, 3,

. from view. On the other hand, the feature of and 5, of substantially equal width spliced to 40 providing-a stifl toe portion, for instance, a stiff intervening wider relatively stiff strips 2 and 4 fiberboard toe portion, in the insole proper is of at adjoining longitudinal edges e, which may be primary significance or importance, since the insuitably scarfed and cemented together in lapsole toe portion is not exposed to view and it is ping relationship to provide substantially smooth 3 inexpedient and generally undesirable to secure or continuous sheet surfaces. It is thus seen thereat an extraneous stiffener piece as is usually that the invention hereof is intended to be apdone under the shank and heel portions. plied more especially in instances when the vari- The insoles produced by the present invention ous strips can be cut from material suitable for are, therefore, made from relatively flexible mause in insoles inlieu of leather and available as terial excepting at their toe portions, which may sheets of indefinite length and of substantially so advantageously consist of fiberboard or similar uniform thickness and other qualities throughstiff material. The relatively flexible material out. Thus, the strips 2 and 4 may be cut from may advantageously be leather substitute rnarelatively flexible artificial leather sheet mateterials, for instance, rubber-impregnated felts, rial comprising a base of interfelted fibers formed papers, or other fibrous bases. The insole stock on a papermaking machine. and impregnated with rubber; and the strips l, 3,'and 5 may be cut from comparatively stiff fiberboard, leatherboard, or the like, all of which are to be regarded as being comprehended by the expression fiberboard as used in the appended claims. It might be noted that a soft, absorptive fibrous web or paper of the kind produced from cellulose fiber, such as refined wood pulp or pulp of high alpha cellulose content, on a papermaking machine may be impregnated with rubber latex compositions and then dried to produce artificial leather admirably adapted, because of its more or less stretchable and compressible qualities and its good skivability and other characteristics, for use as the relatively flexible strips 2 and'4 herein; and such artificial leather strips may be spliced with the strips I, 3, and 5 consisting of comparatively stiff fiberboard, which is inexpensive and can also be skived nicely or without fraying, to produce at low expense the illustrated fivestrip sheet from which' the desired insoles may be cut by the method hereof. Materials of various other origins or compositions may serve for the odd-numbered and even-numbered strips of the composite sheet hereof, so long as such materials have the degree of flexibility or stiffness required in the odd-numbered and evennumbered strips. strip sheet is preferably of substantial uniform thickness throughout, for instance, of a thickness of about 3 to 4 irons, such as ordinarily desired for insoles; and the adjoining scarfed or beveled edges e may be bonded or cemented together by any suitable adhesive, such as rubber latex, rubber cement, glue, etc.

The odd-numbered strips I, 3, and 5, are of a width approximating or slightly greater than that of the toe portionof the desired insole and the even-numbered strips 2 and 4 are of a width approximating or substantially equal to twice the length of the desired insole minus twice the length a: of the insloe toe portion minus the length y of the insole shank and heel portions beginning with substantially its front shank line rearwardly. As depicted, the pattern used for cutting or dieing out insoles from the composite sheet can be made to yield four longitudinal rows of insoles extending transversely of the sheet, since each relatively flexible strip 2 is able to take in or, accommodate all but the toe portions t of a two-row insole-cutting pattern wherein the shank and heel portions of an insole m pointed transversely in one direction in one row occupies and substantially fits the space between the shank and heel portions of two insoles 12 pointed transversely in the opposite directions in the adjacent row. The narrow stiff strip 3 between the wider flexible strips 2 and 4 may be overrun by the oppositely pointed toe portions of the second and third rows of insoles, there being sufficient area in the strip 3 between a pair of insoles in one row to receive the oppositely pointing toe portion of an insole in the adjacent row. It is thus possible to cut the desired insoles from the composite or multi-strip sheet hereof with low stock wastage.

It will be appreciated that while only a fivestrip sheet has been illustrated, it is possible to embody the invention hereof in a three-strip sheet, a seven-strip sheet, or other odd-numbered-strip sheet for cutting into the desired insoles, provided that the narrow and relatively stiff odd-numbered strips are spliced or united to the intervening wider and relatively flexible even-numbered strips in such manner that an The composite or spliced fivc-.

composite or multi-strip sheets hereof so that a number of insoles will be formed at each insolecutting or dieing-out operation. The method hereof may be practicedat the shoemaking factory as well as at the plant where the composite or multi-ply sheet material hereof is being fabricated, for such sheet material lends itself to economical shipment either as lengthy sheets or in roll form. r

In some instances, the composite sheet hereof may be of unitary or integral structure and consist of an originally relatively flexible sheet throughout, such as a rubber-impregnated, interfelted fiber or paper sheet, whose zones or areas corresponding to'th'e narrow odd-numbered strips l,"3, and 5 of the composite sheet shown in the drawing have been impregnated additionally with such stiffening media as resin compositions, Celluloid solution, shellac, casein or starch paste, etc., but whose zones or'areas: corresponding to the even-numbered wider strips 2 and 4 of the composite sheet shown in the drawing are not so impregnated but are left relatively flexible. row 'zones or areasmay be composed of material originally as flexible as the even-numbered'zones or areas but additionally impregnated with suitable stiffening media to a degree such that they can yield insole toe'portions of a stiffness quality desired for resisting buckling or distortion of during lasting and wear of the with maximum pressure, 1. e., at the shank and heel zones; it is desirably resilient and flexible at its ball zone; and it is desirably stifl" or hard at its toe portion, whereat the foot exerts minimum pressure and whereat it is hence unnecessary to provide resiliency or cushioning efiect next to the foot.

I claim:

1. A composite sheet of insole stock'adapted to yield upon'cutting at least four rows of insoles transversely thereof, said sheet comprising stiff longitudinal areas each of a width to accommodate the toe portionof an insole and alternating with relatively flexible longitudinal areas each of a width to accommodate all but the toe portions of adjacent insoles pointed in opposite directions with the shank and heel portions of one insole fitting the space between the shank and heel portions of adjacent insoles, said relatively stiff areas constitutingthe margins of said sheet and said sheet comprising at least two of said relatively flexible areas and an intervening relatively stiff area for accommodating the toe portions of adjacent'r'ovvs of insoles.

2. A composite sheet of insole stock adapted to yield upon cutting at least four rows of insoles commodate all but the toe portions of adjacent insoles pointed in opposite directions with the shank and heel portions of one insole fitting the space between the shank and heel portions of adjacent insoles, said relatively stifl fiberboard strips constituting the margins of said sheet and 'said sheet comprising at least two of said relatively flexible rubber-impregnated fibrous strips and anaintervening relatively stifl fiberboard strip for accommodating the toe portions of adjacent rows of insoles.

3. A' method of making insoles that are flexible throughout excepting at their toe portions, which comprises providing a composite longitudinal sheet inclusive of at least three relatively stifl fiberboard strips and at least two altemat ing relatively flexible rubber-impregnated fibrous strips or awidth to accommodate all but the toe portions of adjacent insoles pointed in opposite transverse directions with the shank and heel portions of one insole fitting the space between the shank and heel portions of adjacent insoles, one of said relatively stifl strips being between the two relatively flexible strips and two 01' said relatively stifl strips constituting the margins of the resulting composite sheet; and cutting from the resulting composite sheet at least four longitudinal rows of insoles extending transversely of said sheet, the cutting 'pattem for said rows being such that the toe portion in each row of insoles occurs in each said'relatively stifl strip and the rest of the insole structure in two adjacent rows of insoles occurs in each said relatively flexible strip with the shank and heel portions of an insole in one row occupying and substantially/fitting the space between the shank and heel portions of adjacent insoles in an adjacent row and with the relatively stifl strip between the two relatively flexible strips accommodating the toe portions in two adjacent rows of insoles.

FRED L. AYERS. 

